FIGS. 1A and 1B depict aspects of a conventional computer system 10. The computer system includes a display 12 having a graphical user interface (GUI) 13, a memory 14, a processor 16, and one or more input/output (I/O) devices 17 (in addition to the display 12), such as a mouse. The computer system also includes an operation system 18 and applications 20, 22, and 24. The applications 20, 22, and 24 each have one or more corresponding contexts.
In utilizing the conventional computer system 10, a user may wish to employ hot keys. A hot key is some combination of keys that provides a short cut to a particular function when the user is utilizing a particular application 20, 22, and 24. The applications 20, 22, and 24 may come with certain hot keys already configured. For example, suppose that the application 20 is a word processing application. In the context of the word processing application 20, a hot key may be used to access a particular font or format for the font. Text may be bolded, for example, by a user pressing <ctrl><b>. The key combination of <ctrl><b> is the hot key for the function of bolding text.
Although the applications 20, 22, and 24 may have some hot keys, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the user may desire to remap the existing hot keys to new hot keys. In addition, the user may wish to provide additional hot keys. Remapping the hot keys for an application 20, 22, and 24 allows the user to configure applications 20, 22, and 24 in a manner that is most intuitive to the user.
FIG. 2 depicts a conventional method 50 for mapping hot keys in the computer system 10. A conventional hot key menu is accessed, via step 52. The conventional hot key menu is typically a new screen separate from the context, or application 20, 22, and 24, in which the user may be working. Thus, step 52 typically entails the user exiting the context in which the user was working (if any), to enter the hot key menu. Once in the hot key menu, the user selects the function for which the hot key is desired, via step 54. Typically, step 54 is performed by the user clicking on a particular function in a list of functions for which hot keys can be mapped. The user then selects the key combination that is to correspond to the hot key for the function, via step 56. Stated differently, the user selects the key combination that is to become the hot key in step 56. The key combination is mapped to the function, via step 58. Consequently, the hot key is remapped. The user then exits the hot key menu and returns to the context in which they were previously working, via step 60. Thus, the user can remap hot keys for various applications using a hot key menu.
Although the conventional method 50 functions, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that a user must access the conventional hot key menu in order to map the hot keys to a particular function. Consequently, the user must stop the work they are currently doing in the application 20, 22, or 24 to access the conventional hot key menu. In addition, the hot key menu might include a long list of functions that may be unrelated to the particular function or application 20, 22, and 24 for which the user wishes to provide a hot key. Thus, selecting the function in step 54 may be difficult and time consuming.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for more efficiently mapping hot keys for various applications in the computer system. The present invention addresses such a need.